This election matters
- Imphal Times Editorial :: February 24 2017 -

They call this “festival of democracy”.

But when one revisits the meaning of democracy and that of the festival, the so call authority who calls this election as festival of democracy is perhaps the worst intellectual ever born in the history of India.

Merriam Webster define democracy as a government by the people and a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation periodically held free election.

When defining it as government of the people it is a government specially ruled by the majority.

On the other hand Festival is defined as a periodic celebration or program of events or entertainment having a specified focus.

Festival is not war monger curriculum, it is about happiness for bringing simile to the people who are taking part.

When this election witness interference from armed UG groups who are against the Indian system, when armed assailant who claimed themselves as revolutionaries threatened common man with their guns, and when armed rebel group, may be presently ensuing in peace talk with the government of India force the electorate to vote to the candidate they support, how could it be justified calling it as festival of democracy.

When victims of fake encounter or extra judicial killings still cry for justice, how could one say that this is a festival of democracy?

Well, while we do not agree to call this election as festival of democracy but we do believe that this election will surely make the future generation accepting it as festival.

Well coming to this election, in public platform issues like corruption, nepotism, fake encounter killing, framework agreement signed between the NSCN-IM and the GoI followed by economic blockade and recently of AFSPA are some of the hard talk by leaders of almost all political parties while campaigning for the upcoming state assembly election.

Every single soul in this erstwhile kingdom is concerned of these issues; however there are also many who are not happy to some of the political parties for forgetting about delivering justice to victims of fake encounter killing.

With just few days to go for poll, election euphoria has now fill the air, leave aside the print media, cable TV programme, talks about political parties and their candidates all busy discussing election.

One way these are healthy discussion for election is a festival of democracy.

But the real things that matters and that is hovering to the mind of majority electorates is not actually what is being discussed.

It is about those who provide them jobs, who are relatives and who are near and their one above these those who spend their day today needs.

It is time that every concern citizen make this election that will shape the future of our state.